The West Indies national cricket team is set to arrive in Bangladesh on 18 October to compete in a crucial two-match Test series, which forms part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship cycle. Both fixtures are scheduled to commence at 09:30 AM local time daily, with the opening Test hosted at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka, followed by the second Test at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.
This series holds immense strategic weight for the hosts. Bangladesh recently featured in a standalone Test match against Afghanistan, which operated outside the World Test Championship framework. Within the Championship standings, however, Bangladesh remain in a promising position. A landmark victory over Australia in an earlier round bolstered their standings, keeping them firmly in contention for a place in the World Test Championship final. Securing maximum points against the visiting West Indies will be essential to sustain that momentum.
Prior to the international fixtures, the West Indies were originally scheduled to play a three-day warm-up match against a BCB XI. At the specific request of the touring management, the practice match was truncated to a two-day fixture, taking place in Bashundhara. Under the revised itinerary, 19 October and 24 October have been designated as official rest days for the squad.
Before launching their Test campaign against the Caribbean side, Bangladesh face a hectic schedule in the United Arab Emirates. Following the conclusion of their match against Afghanistan, the team travels to the Gulf for a One-Day International tri-series featuring Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, and Bangladesh. Beginning on 17 October, the round-robin tournament sees each side play one another once, culminating in a final between the top two teams on 23 October. The Bangladeshi contingent will fly home immediately after the tri-series finale to complete their preparations for the Test series.
The complete itinerary for the West Indies tour of Bangladesh is outlined below:
18 October: West Indies squad arrives in Bangladesh
19 October: Rest day
22–23 October: Two-day warm-up match (Bashundhara)
24 October: Rest day
28 October – 1 November: First Test (Mirpur, 09:30 AM start)
5–9 November: Second Test (Sylhet, 09:30 AM start)